Visit to Art in Action Oxford

I have just spent the day with two lovely friends looking around Art in action at waterperry Gardens ,Oxford .It was a perfect hot summer's day and we enjoyed seeing lots of the best inspiring art and craft in the country . Here are lots of photos of all the exciting things that caught my eye !

Iris Milward Poetry tiles

Mirka Golden-hann

"Interactive colour play" You were encouraged to re-arrange the colours however you wanted !

Barbara Gunter-Jones "Ghost Grass" This was a beautiful blue colour with delicate stitching .

Juliet walters "Containment " The two sections fitted together like a Russian doll .

This work was by probably my favourite ceamicist of the whole show Gwen Bainbridge .

Anna Hamburger's Lace gauntlets made of porcelain .

A detail of Jill denton's felt Wrap,it had beautiful colours and pattern.

I love anything in rows . Lovely mugs and bottles by Richard miller.

I can't remember whose these are unfortunately , the colour of the turquoise melted glass was amazing !

More work by Anna Hambuger . Love anything with buttons .

These bowls are also by Anna Hambuger ,they remind me of batik fabric designs .

We had a great day out ,especially a lovely lunch finished off with cake in the shade on a very hot day . We watched a great Raku firing demo too photos to follow soon .

Bye for now xx

I have been to the Gloucestershire Arts and crafts centre today in the Glos Docks where I sell my work . This is where I held my Open Studios week in June from Studio one . Usually I am working inside and don't take the time to enjoy the views so I had my lunch out here on a bench and took some photos . It is a lovely place to visit if you are in the area . For more information look on their website www.gloucestershireartsandcraftscentre.co.uk

Off to Art in Action at the weekend ! Bye for now xx

Firstly here's a couple of photos of my kitchen window which is giving me lots of pleasure with the lovely colours ! I put one of my birds on sticks in the flowers and really pleased with the result .

Now for the process of the new designs . These bowls have been made in a slab mould and dried slightly . Then I have applied a layer of coloured slip ready for decorating .

This is the very best bit and why I love doing what I do ! I scratch through the layer of slip using various sharp tools to reveal the clay body underneath . You have to be in the right confident frame of mind to do this ,as you cannot rub out any mistakes and have to have a steady hand .

Then I add some slip-trailed spots of white slip to finish the design with a raised effect .I put some spots all the way around the edge too to define the edge . I almost love how it looks at this stage more than the finshed result.

They have now been through the first bisque firing and are ready to glaze. After glazing they go back in the kiln for the second time . You learn to be patient as a potter and have to wait another day and a half to see the work finished !

Opening the kiln is the exciting bit and seeing the final result all glossy and colourful .

Here are some other designs in the kiln too .

My completed new bird designs .Lovely all my favourite colours .

I am hoping to visit Art in Action at Waterperry Gardens in Oxford this weekend so may have some photos of some inspirational work to show next week .

Bye for now xx

Hi I have just spent a lovely weekend attending the local Summer Community Craft and Music Festival organised by Cheltenham Connect(for more information visit their website www.cheltenhamconnect.co.uk).

The weather was lovely , a bit windy the first day and Sunday very warm!! It was great to catch up with lots of other stall holders and listen to all the live bands playing in the pub next to the fair .

Here are some photos of the view from my stall .

Also took some photos of my stall which I usually forget to do .

I have been doing Fairs and events every weekend for the last six weeks so looking forward to a free weekend this weekend! I will be busy now making more work to replenish my stock and for the shops I sell through. I will be taking more photos along the way and be back soon xxx

I have been very busy getting ready for an Open Studios Week .It has started this weekend and will be on until the 12th June . This is a studio I share with two lovely friends and it is a workshop/ gallery /Shop . I mostly sell from there as clay is a bit messy . It has been great to have a permanent space to display work . Also it is great to keep changing it around and we have got abit carried away with fairy lights etc in the past but "such fun"!!

So here are lots of photos of the studio ,hope you enjoy them!!
The lovely cards in this photo are made by Ali Corder and they are a range called "Random Ransoms" and they will be available soon on www.notonthehighstreet.com soon .

I have lots of craft fairs and events coming up soon ,and lots of outlets to supply too ,so I can see lots of late nights on the horizon in the coming weeks .I will take some photos of the making of my new bird dishes when I make my next batch soon .

Bye for now

Kath x